1934 Morris Minor Tourer

This delightful Minor has an extraordinary story. Its current custodian, then located in Reading, purchased the Morris as his first car in 1958 for £30 after raiding his Post Office savings account when he was just 17. He repaired and restored the motor car when necessary and when funds allowed, and was rightly very proud of his Morris, whom he christened Emmeline, until she was usurped by a company car and sold to her next owner in 1963. By the 1970s, Emmeline was back in Berkshire and underwent a full restoration and we understand that further work was carried out in the 1990s, including the fitting of new ash door frames, a new front seat, new floor boards etc. The Minor apparently had not been run since 1994 when the current custodian purchased Emmeline again in 2008 after discovering her in Essex. This find made national news the same year and the story appeared in the printed Reading Post, Metro and Daily Mirror and online with the Mail, the Telegraph, the RAC, Channel 4 and the BBC, plus television interviews with the BBC and ITV!

A full chassis-up restoration ensued, with the fitting of a new ash frame, and the Minor was treated to a new bonnet and a full respray and retrim, plus new sidescreens, a new hood and overhauled frame system, the renewal of the brightwork and much more. The mechanics were fully refurbished and restored as well and all work was meticulously documented and invoices retained. The restoration was completed in 2012 and since then, the Minor has been continuously well cared for and maintained.  Now, the Minor is in concours condition and has won several awards. The interior and dashboard are exemplary, the paintwork is very, very nice. We are told that there are no known faults with the mechanics, the Minor starts and runs well, although after a period of storage, it may benefit from a recommissioning service.  In 2019, a full service was carried out with a cylinder head and starter motor repair and a new battery fitted. In 2018, the head gasket was replaced.

The history file  MOT test certificates from 1975, two RF60 continuation books from 1956, a Post Office savings book belonging to the current owner dating from 1941 to 1960, lots of correspondence, the aforementioned newspaper and online articles, numerous invoices dating back to the early 1970s plus a whole file of invoices from the current ownership documenting its restoration, together with the V5C registration certificate. 

Also included in the sale is the original handbook, The Complete Morris Minor book, the original jack and handle, two axles stands, an indoor dust cover, a CTEK trickle charger, engine and gearbox oils, a pair of vehicle ramps and two boxes of old and new spare parts, all to be collected by prior arrangement.

Auction Date: 20 June 2024